The Hidden Power of Online Manual
- by Paul Buchtmann

Writing software manuals and procedural documentation is quite boring, isn't it?

Many of us purchase software and tend to think that creating internal documentation will be an easy task, generally though it is a much bigger task than we think. If you do not document then a number of your users will not be clear about how you want then to perform particular functions.

Why should we put so much time writing documentation which most may never read? Sometimes it's true. I've never read the Windows or IE manuals, and only read small parts of the Excel and Word manuals. Most things in these applications seems clear enough without further explanation. Nevertheless, as I and many others have found in the past we can all learn easier ways to do things even from applications we use everyday.

Often documentation by experienced staff will give us the easiest method of performing functions.

By publishing your procedures you can help to standardise within your business and even help make your employees even more productive. You could also publish these on the web for your clients about your products and unlock further the power of your business.

Online Manual Makes gives greater visibility to your project.

By being online does not mean that it has to be on the web. Many times online simply means that it is in an electronic form accessible from the users workstation.

Within this online manual you also need to use specific words to put in context specific and allows users to search for assistance with ease. Let the manual work not only for your users, but for you as well.

Online Manual saves time for both you and your staff.

How many times have you heard a picture is worth a thousand words. For many who are providing support know just how easy sending a screen shot to an end user could save many hours of explanation. Online guides often use sentences like "Open the File menu and select .... then press the Enter or OK key". If your documentation is simple then the likelyhood it will be understood becomes much greater. If the steps are not attached to graphic images and only contain the major steps the user may be puzzled.

Which window and which fields do you mean? In these cases further explanation is then often required.

Screenshots are also very helpful to the illustration of a specific example. These can be further enhanced with callouts and descriptions.

A good manual means that you consider your business and procedures seriously.